Pain. That was all Jackson knew at the moment. His arm was trapped underneath rubble that had fallen down from the earthquake. Though Jack knew that this was no normal earthquake.

What kind of earthquake would rip a hole in space?

He looked towards the distorted hole in the sky, with what looked like giant birds flying out and destroying everything.

He looked at the rubble the covered his arm, only to come face-to-face with one of these birds. His eyes widened, and all went black.

----------------------------------------

Jack opened his eyes. What met him was a dark void and voices. LOTS of voices, crying out in pain or sadness, sometimes both.

Jack brought his hands to his face. Even though there was no light he could clearly see. His left arm was the normal peach color he has known for his entire life. The other, well...

It was mutilated. Bone stuck out of his skin, bits of rock, skin torn to show muscles, and dark red blood seeping, causing what was left of his arm to become red. He wasn't sure if it was shock of something else, but he couldn't feel any pain coming from it. In fact, everything that just happened felt like a bad dream. A very vivid one. 

He was on his way home when it happened. A tear opened up the sky, revealing a mirad of colors and creatures. That's when all hell broke loose. Fires started, an earthquake shook everything, and he was trapped by a boulder. 

Before he realized it, the voices had disappeared. Jack took notice of this, and called out.

"Hello? Is there anyone there? Anyone?" He called out, his voice distorted.

"Anyone? Please, answer..."

Jack floated there, in the void for what could have been seconds or years, until something broke the dark space he floated in.

Do you wish to change the world?

Yes / No

A red rectangle pireced his vison, breaking up the darkness of the surrounding void.

Jack brought up his mutilated hand and tapped yes. Why? He felt like he had an obligation to. An obligation to those who had died. Maybe somehow bring them back. His pinky tapped YES.

Instantly, the void began to shift around him. Changing. He feet met a hard floor. The second his feet met the floor, color burst into existence. In a second, it look the form of his old room.

A king size bed in one corner, bookshelfs holding all his games, his large closet, the two computers in the corner on his desk, all of it. Jack walked to one of his two windows and opened it up. Instead of a sprawling city-scape, it was a vast field full of green grass and lush flowers. Jack rubbed his eyes and winced as a bone pricked his eye.

"Ow. Ok, how do I fix this? Wait, dumb question. How can something like thi-" He was cut of mid-sentence as his arm put itself back together. Rocks fell out, bones moved back into place and fractures healed, the blood on his arm rushed back into the wounds as the skin healed. There was no way to tell that his arm had ever been destroyed.

"What the fuck?" Is all what Jackson could say. "I need water." He moved towards his door, but a glass of water then materialized in his hands. Jack blinked, the took a swig of the water.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

It wasn't anything special. It just tasted like normal water. In a few seconds, he drank all the water and the glass disappeared. He opened his door, and saw that he had stepped out into the feild.

"Where is the rest of my house?!" He yelled, not understanding what was going on. And much like the last two incidents, the rest of his house popped into existence with him inside of it. It was an exact copy. He stood in the living room, with a couch on the far wall, with a TV in the corner. To his right was the kitchen and the bathroom, to the left was his parents bedroom and younger sisters room sperated by a hall. In front was a door that led to the front porch.

Even though everything had been completely copied, there was one thing that wasn't there before. In the center of the living room was an orb that pulsated different colors. It hovered a few inches over the coffee table.

"What is that?" Jack asked aloud. He knew his house pretty well, but that was never there before. He was sure of it. His question was then answered.

Answer: That is the World Heart. It is the center of your world, reverted back into an egg.

Jack flinched as the rectangle popped up again. But even though it answered his question, it brought up another one. "My world? What does that mean?"

Answer: As a God, it is your obligation to create a world for life to live on. If not, you will disappear and the mantle will be passed on to another soul.

Three things stuck out to Jack. One, he was a god. Back before everything went to hell, he was an athiest, and didn't really believe in any higher power. But if what this was sayingwas true, then that meant there really was a God before this. Two, it said he had a time limit to create a world or he would 'disappear'. He didn't like the way it said the word. Three, he was a god. That meant there were other Gods. Or Goddess.

But, before Jack asked anymore questions, he would have to take care of that time limit. He took a seat on the couch and asked aloud.

"Alright. So, how do I create this 'world?'"

Answer: Go up towards the World Heart and press your and against it. You will then be given a list of options to choose from to help you create your world.

Jack sighed. It said he had to get up, but he really didn't want to. Then, he got an idea. Looking at the orb, he focused on moving it towards him. He then felt a tug, and when he opened his eyes, he saw golden hands come out of his back and bring the orb towards him.

Smiling, Jack put his right hand on the glowing ball. He felt the same tug as before, and the orb began to shine. He watched it shrink until it floated just over the back of his hand. The rectangle appeared again.

Your first step is to form your Universe. I'll leave it up to you.

Jack focused. It was something he had only done when he played games, but he was doing it now. He took inspiration from the many games he played. He imagined a tree. A tree with golden leaves and light brown bark. He imagined it large enough for a small army to walk along it's branches. He imagined a staircase winding around the tree, leading to a different branch. A different world. He felt the tug, and he opened his eyes

The Universe Heart floating above his hand then burst into light, but for some reason didn't blind Jack. He watched in wonder as the light twisted and reshaped itself into a small golden tree. An exact copy of what he imagined. It had turned from the seed of a world into the seed of a universe.

"Zedgrasil." Jack mumbled. It was a weird name, yet seemed to fit it perfectly. Universe Heart, or now Zedgrasil, suddenly started to grow. Jack ran outside and put it on the ground. It grew bigger and bigger, until it was the size of a normal tree. He picked it up with the golden arms and moved it towards the front yard. Its roots dug into the ground, and then Jack realized it was the only tree in the field.

Congratulations. You have created your universe. Would you like to create your first world to put on Zedgrasil?

Jack felt something. It wasn't a tug, but his heart jumping. He never felt this before, but he knew what it was. Accomplishment.

"Yeah. Let's get started, shall we?"